Premiere Video Editing FAQs -- All Platforms

¡¡¡First Steps for New Users!!!

This is a general approach that works for many projects - particularly long format programs. Before you capture, log your footage on paper, noting which segments are of possible use and the in and out point of each. Then decide which segments you will use. Often, the best way to do this is to create a "paper edit" whereby you can visualize your video project by rearranging the segments in the order you will edit them. At this point, be ruthless and remember: Less is More. Try to get a sense of the pacing of your video and make it consistent. Once you've decided which segments you're going to use, name them (short but not cryptic) and then capture, using your names to identify each clip. If you have a lot of clips, consider placing them in multiple Premiere project bins by dividing your project into logical chunks. This could be as simple as Beginning, Middle and End, or more complex if required. It'll be less confusing when you're searching for clips and Premiere will be more responsive too. At this point, it's a simple matter to place the clips on your time line in order using your paper edit as a guide, and you'll soon have a rough cut of your project. As tempting as it may be at this point to start adding transitions and all the other bells and whistles, don't. It'll distract you from looking at the overall project. Play your rough cut though and make some notes. If necessary, rearrange or delete clips that don't fit with the flow. Once you've finalized the order and duration of the clips, you're ready to get into detailed trimming, tweaking and lastly, transitions, titles and filters. There are two big advantages to this method. First off, you won't be digitizing a lot of footage that won't ever make it into the final project, which saves both time and disk storage space. Secondly, your project will go together much faster as you won't be spending hours scrubbing through lengthy clips while you make edit decisions. Admitedly, logging video footage and working on a paper edit are decidedly less glamorous and fun than playing with Premiere. But I guarantee that for each minute you spend on these tasks, you'll save at least ten when editing and your finished video will be much tighter and cohesive. And NLE is way more satisfying when you can already visualize what it is you want to create.

Thanks to John Carswell (Nov 10, 2000)

35mm Film Look

Q. Is there a plugin to after effects or premiere that will create the onscreen look of a 35mm film?

A.Yes, The program is called Cinelook by Digieffects. But it is an expensive plug-in costing around 500-600 dollars. But it is an amazing piece of program that works only with After Effects. There's also a program called FilmFx.it is a little cheaper than cinelook. <http://www.digieffects.com> for cinelook <http://www.mvp-soft.com> for FilmFx There have been many posts on this in the past. The best tip I got is to shoot with a Black Pro-Mist Tiffen filter. I found a #1 takes the hard video edge off, and cuts the contrast. I played with the filmfx demo, and it looks pretty cool to. (A Cool $500) FilmFX is way better than cinelook and it doesn't require after effects. You can download the demo at www.bigfx.com. It's well worth the $500. But also, you will never get video to look like 35mm film. Why would you want to cut contrast? film has more contrast than video, so why cut it? Even when using a progressive scan video camcorder. Something that MIGHT help is by slowing down the video by 2x. Then speeding it back up. In some applications, however (not familiar if Premier does this or not), you'll find that in doing this, you will eliminate one field per frame, which gives you half a frame 30 times per second, instead of the full-res 30fps. Doing this gives a repetition of 30 images shown in consecutive order, instead of 60 fields per second. Actual motion pictuee film is shown at 24fps, and has an amazing leniancy as far as exposure goes film has no equal. However, when film is transferred to television via telecine, it posesses the same characteristics as video on the tv screen. So video can be tinkered with to have a SIMILAR appearance. If you can, try the "slow-down speed-up" trick. If that doesn't work, look into those programs that Thomas and Chris mentioned. Good luck. Kent PS. Thomas, by cutting the contrast on video, you acheive a much smoother pitcure which does look more appealing to the eye. Video has a type of artifical contrast which, Im' sure you've noticed, appears to be black lines around subjects by eliminating this electronic illusion, you will notice how much cleaner the picture appears.

Alpha channel

Using Alpha Channel

I cut from Corel 3 and pasted into the newly installed Corel photo paint... changed the page size to pixels at 640 X480... (I thought this would help the grainy appearance since motion will be added).. I converted the color to NTSC color range and then exported it as the only file format that would not merge or flatten PSD I then imported it into Premiere a dialog appears and gives you an option to merge or choose layers.. I had 2 options.. Background and Object2 .. (I can't figure out why it was called Object2) I chose Object2.... after placing it on the time line and clicking on it.. I went to Clip/video/transparency and chose Alpha channel..(not white alpha).. I chose "page peel" for the preview.......... and I couldn't believe my eyes ! ...added motion... messed with opacity

Alpha Channel Transparency

I'm using a Photoshop file with alpha transparency. It works fine. Then when I add motion, it is no longer transparent. How do I get both to work? Under motion check off: ALPHA CHANNEL | USE CLIPS' instead of ALPHA CHANNEL | CREATE NEW

Creating Alpha glow

In PSP5 I created a new image. Added a new layer and put some text on it. Chose "Save to Alpha Channel". Exported the image as a TGA file Loaded it into Premiere on the video 2 track Chose transparency and selected ALPHA CHANNEL Went to the filters menu and selected Alpha Glow.

Photo with Alpha channel

Here is what I did to create an Alpha channel for some text using PSP5. I did this so I could use the Alpha Glow filterin Premiere. 1. Create a new image. 2. Create a new layer (LAYER|NEW) 3. Place the text or graphic in this new layer. 4. While the image is still selected, save this image to the Alpha Channel (SELECTIONS|SAVE TO ALPHA CHANNEL) 5. Save the image in a format other than gif (I think gif does not support the Alpha Channel). 6. Import the file into Premiere. 7. To check if the Alpha channel was saved, select the clip, choose FILTER and then ALPHA GLOW. You should see the glow effect around the Alpha image if it worked. Now you can use this image in any manner you like. I have only done this with text. You may have to use the lasso tool to select a graphic to be saved to the Alpha channel.

Alpha channel in Photoshop

In video, keying is the process of making an area within an image transparent to allow another image to show through it, often accomplished by including a video alpha channel with an image. Adobe Photoshop lets you create video alpha channels for RGB images that have an 8-bit mask (i.e., an alpha channel [Photoshop 3.0.x or earlier] or a layer mask[Photoshop 4.0.x or later]). If you have a compatible 32-bit QuickDraw video card (e.g., TrueVision NuVista, NuVistaPlus), you can combine the video alpha channel with a video image on a NTSC monitor; the video alpha channel will overlay the video. Video alpha channels you create in Photoshop can vary in levels of transparency: black masks the image at 100%, white reveals the image at 100%, and gray partially masks the image.

Creating a Video Alpha Channel in Photoshop 4.0.x or Later: Create a layer mask for a selected area of an image, then select the Use Video Alpha option in Photoshop's Preferences dialog box:1. Open an RGB image in Photoshop.2. Choose File > Preferences > Transparency & Gamut, then select Use Video Alpha and click OK.3. To convert the Background to a layer, double-click Background in the Layers palette, then click OK in the Make Layer dialog box. (Unless the Background is converted to a layer, it doesn't supports layer masks.)4. Select the area to be masked, then create a video alpha channel by choosing Layer > Add Layer Mask > Reveal Selection.5. Using the Move tool, drag the image window to the second(NTSC) monitor. The video card will read the video alpha channel and key out the RGB image on the second monitor.

Creating a Video Alpha Channel in Photoshop 3.0.x or Earlier: Save a selection as an alpha channel, then designate it as a video alpha channel:1. Open an RGB image in Photoshop.2. Make a selection and then choose Select > Save Selection. Choose New from the Channel pop-up menu in the Save Selection dialog box, then click OK.3. Choose Video Alpha from the Channels palette pop-up menu.4. In the Video Alpha dialog box, choose the new channel from the Channel pop-up menu, then click OK. (A small TV icon will appear next to the channel in the Channels palette.) 5. Using the Move tool, drag the image window to the second(NTSC) monitor. The video card will read the video alpha channel and key out the RGB image on the second monitor.

If you create a layered image in Photoshop (or Corel Draw in PSD format), and name the layers sensibly, you can then choose to import just the layer(s) you want into Premiere. Areas not covered by the layer's contents are automatically assigned an alpha mask and can be keyed out very cleanly indeed.

Using a layer for the 'wanted' part of the image allows you to eliminate the background and end up with a floating image of any complex shape.

If you use Corel Draw!, you can start with vectors in Draw, cut and paste into PhotoPaint, and save as .PSD in layers for selective import into Premiere. The process is very quick and gives excellent results.

If serious zooming is required, export from Draw in .EPS format instead and import that into Premiere (but .EPS files are processed by Premiere much more slowly on the timeline, which is why I normally use .PSD where I can).

Avisynth and TMPGEnc "Plugin"

This plugin makes a frame server of Flask or Premiere. This is done by creating a fake AVI file. This fake AVI can be loaded in the encoder as a normal AVI. This resolves the problem of making a time and space consuming intermediate AVI. When starting the plugin, it creates a c:\part0.avs file. (when splitting also a part1.avs). If you load the avs file in an encoder, the avisynth.dll makes a connection with the plugin. When an encoder wants to read audio or video, this request is passed to the plugin. Then the plugin fetches the audio/video and sends this to the encoder. We call this inter-process-communication. That way we speak about an IPCsource. For me, this is the most important feature but it can do also a lot more. More info can be found on the web page of Ben.

Installation of Avisynth

The installation is very simple. In the zip file, avisynth.dll is present. Copy this file in the \SYSTEM directory of Windows. When this is done, run the install.reg file which is also included in the zip-file. The installation is done by double clicking on this file. A popup window should tell you that it is installed. Now Avisynth is registered. The next thing we are going to install is the Premiere plugin. The installation is done for Flask by copying the Cm-avisynth.cm.flask-file into the working directory. For Premiere first you need to rename this Cm-avisynth.cm.flask-file to Cm-avisynth.cm.prm and then copy it to the plugin directory of Premiere.

Testing the IPCsource:

Startup the plugin using: Flask ([1] Options->Select Outputformat->link to avisynth, [2] Run->start conversion) or export it with Premiere. This plugin creates a file part0.avs. Try to load this file into the Media player. If this is not working, you did something wrong with the installation. First correct this before you try to encode. Due this process could not be real time audio will not be in sync.

How does the split function work:

The split function works very easily. Let's say we are encoding 10 seconds of video and we want to split it into two pieces of 5 seconds. The first 5 seconds are served by part0.avs and the second part (6-10) is served by part1.avs. So if we use the batch encoding option and add part0.avs and part1.avs to the encoders it encodes two MPEG files. So there is no need to split your large home video anymore. So this looks very easy. In theory it is, but problems arise when you are using Flask. The problem with Flask is, that it does not allow random access. So all frames need to be read in sequential order. (So start with frame 0,1,2,3,4,5...). Because of this, all frames has to be read before part2 can be encoded.

If you open for example part1 while part0 is serving, the encoder waits on a frame. This frame will never come because the plugin first serves part0, so it looks like your computer has a lockup. If you press stop serve once, the plugin stops serving part0 and starts serving part1. Now the frame is sent to the encoder and will continue.

Thanks to edwinvaneggelen for the program also known as http://www.videotools.net/

You need to patch TMPGEnc so that it will recognize AVS file extensions. Have another look at the AVISynth site for the patch. It's a simple one-step Reg-edit in TMP.

OK! There is a learning curve to all of this frame serving business. I really have no idea where you are stuck. There is a subtle process whereby you create a text file which holds, among other things, the AVISynth export title and it must have an AVS extension. Notepad will not allow you to do this. You need to go back in and rename the file with "only" an AVS extension after saving with Notepad. BTW this AVS file can be anywhere so park it in the TMPGEnc directory so that it comes up by default. Another tip, use the same "filename.avs" for all of your exports so you don't get caught up re-creating AVS files everytime you export. The true output file name can be taylored to whatever you like in your TMPGEnc output settings.

MPEG2 files are easy peasy...so is miniDVD production...that is DVD files with multiple AC3 audio or wav/mp2 between 1 and 9.8Mbps and all with menu selection etc...exactly the same as the original DVD and all on a cheap 40cent CD!! From Prem timeline export to BBMPEG in DVD format, but change the data rate to what ever between 1000kbps and 9800kbps. You have to use lower res formats of 352x288 for the 1000-1500kbps data rates. Then you can build the DVD files with the free demo version of DVQuickBuilder. Have fun

I found the problem. Someone pointed me to the old site of Avisynth and I was using version 2.5 not 3. Once I updated everything worked. I have made my first vcd and I bought a ad-660 apex dvd player at Sam's for $129.00 and it played just a cheap cd fine. Use vcdhelper.com it's great info!!

(several users have contributed these posts)

Black and color

Superblack

It should be noted (to users) that there are THREE places to set Superblack when using Premiere/PVR: PVR: Import Export PVR: Codec Configure Premiere: Setting/General/Advanced Once ALL of these settings are in agreement, transitions can be rendered with no luminance jump. Users should also be aware that this is NOT retroactive: footage must be IMPORTED with appropriate settings set for transitions to be rendered correctly. Users may NOT mix footage imported under differing Superblack settings and expect them to transition correctly in Premiere.

Color limits

If you decide to title inside Premiere, don't allow your "black" to drop below 20,20,20 and don't allow your bright colors to exceed 235,235,235. Premiere will allow colors that exceed the normal video bandwidth.

NTSC color

Isn't that what the NTSC color filter is for in Photoshop? (Filters->Video->NTSC colors).

Inserting Black Screen

Project>Create>Color Matte, and insert into your timeline wherever needed.

NTSC will really only accept a very dark gray as 'black', while PAL can use true black. I don't know the exact value for NTSC-black.

Use 15-15-15 as a black for NTSC. Computer monitors can see 0-0-0 black, but TVs have trouble reproducing that signal. Make a silent black (15-15-15) clip to insert at will. No problem playing it out or with vhs tapes.

Capture stills from video

(see manual, e.g. page 121, for more on stills) Set the number of undos to 5 or more. 2. Select the frame you want and make a cut on either side. 3. Double click on the frame to open it. 4. Export the frame as a .bmp ot .tif 5. Use the Edit/Undo to undo the cuts you made in step 2. You can then import the image into the project and set the duration to whatever you want. You don't need to make a cut at all. Just put the edit line on the frame you want and hit export . Ctrl + Shift + M

Converting old 8mm movies to video

Set shutter speed to 1/75 while projector runs at 24 fps: no flickering, no pumping. Set white balance on the projection area with the projector running without film to get colors nearly identical. The projector is about 3 meters away from the wall but the closer the better (but avoid trouble with cam/projector angel). After capturing the result into Premiere, change the clip speed to 80% to smooth it and added saturation and sharpness.

(Thanks to Martin Hiller, Nov 18, 2000)

Encoding Mpeg files for Video CDs

TEMPEnc is a free avi-to-mpeg encoder that gives better quality than any others I've tried. The only shortcoming is it doesn't work from the Premiere timeline, and so I have to export the edited project to an avi file. Even so, the quality of the resulting mpg file is remarkably better -- pretty nearly as good as the avi file itself. I bought panasonic's plug-in version for premeire and it works fine. The Panasonic plug-in is NOT free. I think it cost $79. I tried the TMPGenc and its difficult to use unless you know Japanese and I would never create a file I could put onto a CD and play in my DVD player with 100% success. I got a lot of help from someone in Japan. He even sent me a very nice translator for all of the buttons, but I always had dropouts on my VCD, even though it played fine on my PC. The panasonic worked 100% the first time and every time and I can't see where the quality is worse. The only bad thing is that I had to pay for it.

Exporting video to tape

(see manual page 297 ff for more on exporting)

Once you've captured the avi file, import it into premiere and place it on the timeline. Then go file>export>movie. In order to make sure the final movie is viewable on other computers, the key is to export it using a compressor and file format everyone can view. If it's going to be viewed on mac as well as windows, export as QuickTime. As far as compressors, I suggest Cinepak, Sorenson, or video. Those are ones that everyone will have.

Q. I try to export the movie I to my video recorder, but without a lot of success. The movie is well exported, but there is no sound. I uses Premiere 5.1, with a MiroVideo DC300 and a Sony TRV10E camera. When I play just a sequence to the camera, I can hear the sound, but when I export, there is nothing.

A. Somewhere in the timeline a piece of audio is missing. The DV300 collapses because of that. Make sure you have a continous audio line from the very beginning to very end of your project. If you don't need audio on some sequences, insert a 'silent' wav. I'll find one on the Premiere CD or just copy an audio clip, insert it where you want and set volume level to zero.

I had the same problem. It happened whenever the video track that matched the audio track was not used in the output. I was trying to use just the audio from an imported .avi file. To work around, I made it think it was using the video, but I covered it up with another video track. I have a DC1000, Windows NT, PIII 450. I have a 56 minute (9.64G) video thas is previewed.

Q. I am trying to print to a VHS tape. Around 19 minutes the monitor goes blank and no video goes to the tape. It records fine up to that point and the rest is blank with no video. Any suggestions?

A.I had a similar problem which was resolved when I closed down all the programs running in the background except systray explorer.

Q.I have a simalar problem after installing TitleDecko I found that premiere and Decko were not happy with my system. I have a DV300 on a Gateway 400 meg PC with a Sony TRV 103 camera. Everything was fine until I installed the Titledeko program and it would keep trying to load even if I was not making a graphic, and then cause an illeagal error and kept crashing. Now when I print to DV or view on a monitor through the 1934 connection it seems to die and then it comes back on and viewing is normal until it dies again. I also installed a ZIP USB CD burner around the same time. The problem happens with 5.1a - c and I have re-installed 1.6 software again. I have not pulled the board out or reformated my hard drive yet. My system was fine till this happened. Any Thoughts?

A.Have you downloaded the latest update of TitleDecko from the Pinnacle Web Site? I had a few probems with TitleDecko before updating - now works without fault. I had this problem and no one could help me. Finally, as a last resort I went into my computer set-up before it boots up. I changed the SCSI control from the DV card to the computer and it worked.

Fading

Fading Night/Day Clips

What transition can I use to fade a night scene and a day scene together? I'm looking for something that might fade to either black or white and then to the other video segment. I've tried additive, non-additive, and cross dissolves, but none of them look right (because of the large lighting difference between the 2 scenes). Any ideas?

You can try a fade out on the first scene... use one of the dissolves (from A to B) but don't overlap the next scene on track 1B... leave a space between the two scenes. Position a second dissolve (from B to A) on the beginning of the second scene (positioned on track A after the space...) thus doing a fade in. You could do a colored fade out and fade in... if you inserted a colored background on track 1B for the length of the dissolves and space between the scene. You can also do fade ins and outs by putting your scenes on V2 (or higher) and playing with the faders under the pictures.

Fade in/out to/from black

You could put them all on V2, V3 and use the rubber bands. In theory you wouldn't need a black matte, but it's safer if you're using Instant Video to put one across the whole segment on, say, V1A. Put all the stills on the timeline. Set up the rubber band fader on the first to the shape you want and Copy (not paste!) that clip. Then use Paste Custom/Again to copy the fader settings to all the rest of the stills after making a multiple selection.

Field Rendering in Premiere General Information

What's Covered

Why Fields Are Used Frames and Fields Video Devices and Field Order Fields and Display Issues Field Dominance and Field Processing in Premiere How to Determine the Field Dominance of Your Equipment Premiere's Field Rendering Options Clip Field Options

Field rendering is the process of creating a movie from a sequence of interlaced fields rather than frames. Many video playback and broadcast systems, including the National Television Standards Committee (NTSC) and Phase Alternating Line (PAL) formats, display one field at a time, rather than one frame at a time. This document explains fields and describes the field rendering process in Adobe Premiere. For simplicity's sake, this document talks about fields in terms of the NTSC frame rate of 30 fps. The concepts discussed are the same regardless of the frame rate of the video.

Why Fields Are Used

Video fields were originally invented to smooth the display of analog video (i.e., television) images. A Television displays video on a phosphor tube. The phosphors glow while being struck by an electron beam shot from an electron gun in horizontal rows (i.e., scan lines) across the screen. This causes each frame to flash onscreen as it is painted by the electron gun. Each flash (i.e., entire scan of the screen) equals one picture. Originally, a second of video comprised 30 flashes. The problem is that the human eye perceives 30 flashes per second as being uncomfortably strobed or flickered. Doubling the frame rate would enable the human eye to perceive the video as smooth, but transmitting 60 full frames per second would require twice the radio spectrum bandwidth.

The solution is to present half as much picture information at twice the scan rate. In other words, design electron guns to scan every other horizontal line of a screen, and then scan the lines it missed on the first pass. This way, the overall radio spectrum bandwidth is maintained, but the perceived display rate is doubled. Each complete pass of every other horizontal line of the screen is called a field. Since the gun scans only half as many lines per pass, it returns to the top of the screen before the first scan (i.e., field) fades. The second field then lights up just before the first field fades, resulting in less flickering. This technique of scanning the two fields independently is called interlaced video.

Video display technology has improved since video was invented. Computer monitors, for instance, can scan without interlacing at rates that surpass interlaced NTSC video. Unfortunately, the broadcast video industry is still based on the old technology, due to backwards-compatibility mandated by the government. Thus, computer monitors treat video somewhat differently than television monitors, which can cause confusion about how to effectively translate video from the one to the other.

Although computer monitors do not need to use fields to display video smoothly, the benefit of using fields in computer-based (i.e., non-analog, digital) video is that each field can hold a slightly different picture. This doubles your frame rate, effectively as well as perceptually. Application software, such as Adobe Premiere, that knows how to take advantage of the field information can create exceptionally smooth video output.

Frames and Fields

Field processing in Premiere is based on two fundamental principles: A frame is a rectangle of pixels and a field is every other horizontal line of pixels in the frame.

For example, a frame that is 640x480 pixels is composed of two fields:

Field 1 comprising lines 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, . . . 475, 477, 479. Field 2 comprising lines 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, . . . 476, 478, 480.

This example assumes you start counting from 1 (one). If you start counting from 0 (zero), Field 1 would be lines 0, 2, 4, 6, etc., and Field 2 would be lines 1, 3, 5, 7, etc.; when counting from zero, line 479 is the 480th line. (This is why ambiguous terms like "Odd" and "Even" are not as accurate as the terms "Field 1" and "Field 2" or "upper field" and "lower field".)

"Field 1" and "Field 2" refer to the alternating scan lines that display on a video monitor, starting with the top-most line of the display. Do not assume scan line position has anything to do with a position in time. In a video playback stream, fields follow each other sequentially in time; the first field of a frame, then the next field of that frame, then the first field of the next frame, etc. When we say that a clip is Field 1ordered, that means that Field 1 is displayed earlier in time than Field 2. If a clip is Field 2 ordered, then the information in the lower field, which is the second-from-the-top scan line and then every other scan line, is displayed earlier.

Video Devices and Field Order

A video camera or video tape recorder (VTR) takes consecutive snapshots and stores them in the fields of a frame. A Field 1 ordered device takes a snapshot and stores the information in Field 1; then one-sixtieth of a second later it takes another snapshot and stores it in Field 2. Conversely, a Field 2 ordered device takes the earlier snapshot and stores it in Field 2, then takes the subsequent snapshot and stores it in Field 1. Together, those two fields make up a single frame, usually with a single timecode address, although some high-end VTRs address the individual fields of a frame. On tape, the information is not interlaced (i.e., stored "ABABABABABAB"), but is stored by fields (i.e., "AAAAAABBBBBB"). The scanning action of the monitor is what visually interlaces the two fields into a single frame.

When playing a videotape, your camera or VTR plays back the video as stored on tape, playing the first field of the first frame, then the second field of the first frame. It then goes on to the next frame and repeats this process. When you digitize that video, your video capture card determines whether it will designate the first played field as Field 1 or Field 2, depending on the card's field order. From this point on, the capture card controls the field order of the video.

NOTE: Sometimes, consumer-grade video cameras and decks are not perfectly accurate in how they lay the video signal onto tape. There may be a slight timing gap on the tape between shots, caused by pausing the tape at the end of one shot, then restarting it for the next shot. This can confuse your video capture card into capturing the video with field order reversed. The way to correct for this is to run your video signal through a TBC (Time Base Corrector). See the document, Using Device Controllers with Premiere General Information for more information.

Fields and Display Issues

Note again that the concept of fields is based fundamentally on display to an interlaced monitor, meaning the monitor draws every other horizontal line down the face of the screen, then goes back to the top and does it again, filling in the gaps from the first pass. A computer video output marked "Composite Out" or "S-Video Out" is interlaced. Your main computer monitor is almost always non-interlaced, or progressive scan. When playing back to a progressive scan monitor, both fields are read and combined into a full frame, which is then displayed as a unit.

When a video clip is playing on an interlaced display, the result is extra smooth motion, since you are displaying 60 distinct sequential images during a second instead of 30. This difference in the content of each of the two fields can cause a combing effect. Combing looks different depending on the display model. On progressive-scan displays, the two fields are displayed simultaneously, and the result looks like half the lines of the frame have been shifted to the right. On interlaced displays, when playback is paused, the result is a flickering image caused by alternately displaying each field of the same frame over and over again.

Field Order and Field Processing in Premiere

A video stream can be thought of at two rates: 30 frames per second, or 60 fields per second. Premiere uses this concept in order to do field processing. Let's take the example of a 1-second Push transition, traveling from left-to-right. The joint between the two clips can be thought to be traveling left-to-right across the screen. If processed at 30 frames per second, there are 30 distinct screen positions for this joint to occupy, from full-left to full-right. If processed at 60 fields per second, there are now 60 positions -- one per field, or two per frame.

Premiere gets the first field and processes it at one position. It then gets the second field, and processes it at the next position, one-sixtieth further to the right. Finally the two fields are combined into a single frame and written to file. This is where an understanding of the concept of Field order becomes important. The following is an example of a series of fields displayed sequentially in time:

Field A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L . . .

If the series were processed with incorrect field order, which occurs when the Output Options:Video Type in Premiere is set to the wrong field for the video capture board. the series of fields would play back like this:

Field B, A, D, C, F, E, H, G, J, I, L, K . . .

Instead of moving smoothly left-to-right, the series would move three steps forward, then one step back. If the series were the numbers, "1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8," when played out of field order, becomes "2 1 4 3 6 5 8 7." Three positions are skipped when going from 1 to 4, resulting in jittery motion.

Most of the time the field order of captured source material doesn't matter. If you are working with material captured using a single capture card, all the clips will have the same field order. If you put these clips end-to-end, they'll playback correctly, even they have the wrong field order, because nothing has been changed in the file.

When you mix clips with different field order (e.g., material captured with different devices, field-rendered animations set to the wrong field order, or switched field order of clips stored on a digital disk recorder) you will need to apply special Field Options to the clips that don't match your Output Options (see Clip Field Options below).

When you are synthesizing fields in Premiere, correct field output order is critical. This concept applies to motion synthesized within Premiere, such as the Push transition example shown above, and other visual state change, such as a smooth fade to black. For example, a fade to black with a duration of five frames, or ten fields has a series of brightness levels, going from brightest (10) to fully black (0):

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

If this were processed with the wrong field order, the brightness levels would change in a very strange order, resulting in luminance jitter:

9 10 7 8 5 6 3 4 1 2 0

How to Determine the Field Order of Your Equipment

You can avoid the issue of field order within Premiere by simply using the Full Frame setting. In doing this, however, you settle for the lowest-common-denominator setting. This means you miss out on the best output, and could improve your output by setting the correct field order for your capture card. Most manufacturers document the correct field order for their card, but if that information is not available, here is a simple test to determine the field order of your desktop video equipment: 1. In Premiere, add two color mattes of differing color (e.g., a red and a blue matte). 2. Give each of matte a duration of 1.0 seconds. 3. Put the red matte on Track A and the blue matte on Track B. Make sure they are precisely, vertically aligned (i.e., they both have a start at time 00:00:00:00). 4. Add a transition that has dramatic motion to it, such as Clock Wipe or Push, between the two color mattes. 5. Make three movies from this project: one using Full Field, one using Field 1, and one using Field 2. 6. Play each of these movies out to your NTSC monitor.

The Full Field movie should play correctly, although it only has 30 positions in the clock wipe. The movie that has the wrong field setting for your equipment should play with motion jitter; it has 60 positions, but they play back out of order. The movie with correct field setting for your equipment should look much smoother than the Full Frame setting. Whichever setting looks the best, that's the setting required for your capture card.

Premiere's Field Rendering Options

To set the field rendering order in Premiere 4.x, choose Make > Output Options. In the Project Output Options dialog box, select one of the following options from the Type pop-up menu:

Full Size Frame Select the Full Size Frame option when rendering a movie with video capture cards that do not process separate fields in a NTSC video frame or for movies that will only be played on a computer screen. This option creates movies with 30 positions of motion. If clips within the project contain separate fields, only the upper field will be used to render the frame. If playback of the finished movie is intended for the computer screen only, this option prevents the combing effect on the computer. This is the appropriate setting when rendering movies for CD-ROM or World Wide Web.

Field 1 Select the Field 1 option for field 1- or upper field-ordered capture cards that process full-frame, 60-field video. Use this option when rendering a movie that will be recorded back to videotape. This option creates movies with 60 positions of motion.

Field 2 Select the Field 2 option for field 2- or lower field-ordered capture cards that process full-frame, 60-field video. Use this option when rendering a movie that will be recorded back to videotape. This option creates movies with 60 positions of motion.

Clip Field Options

When certain types of effects (e.g. motion, speed changes, playing clips backwards, flipping and rotating clips) are applied to video clips, special clip-specific field settings may be required in addition to the field rendering settings for the project. There are three places where this special handling can be applied, in the Field Options (Clip > Field Options), Frame Hold Options (Clip > Frame Hold Options), and the Filters (Clip > Filters) dialog boxes.

Reverse Field Order In Premiere for Mac OS, select this option in the Field Options dialog box when you apply a negative speed value, which reverses the clip playback. Premiere for Windows automatically reverses field dominance whenever a clip speed is not set to 100%, so it is not necessary to select this for negative speed clips in Windows, but it is necessary to select this for all other speed changes.

In both Premiere for Mac OS and Windows, select this option when a filter causes the field information to be reversed (e.g., Vertical Flip or Backward (Video) filters). Since the frame order is reversed in these instances, it is also necessary to reverse the field order within the frames.

When Motion settings vertically shift a clip by an odd number of pixels, so the pixels from Field 1 are moved into the physical location of Field 2, effectively reversing the field order, correct the problem by selecting Reverse field order. If the clip motion continues to move the in and out of different fields, use the Always deinterlace feature (described below).

Interlace Consecutive Frames Select this option in the Field Options dialog box when field rendering a 60-frame per second computer generated animation. This option causes Premiere to render each frame of the animation (or sequence) as a field, retaining 60 positions of motion.

Always Deinterlace and Deinterlace The Always Deinterlace option in the Field Options dialog box, and the Deinterlace option in the Frame Hold Options dialog box, keep the field specified in the Output Options and throw away the other field for every frame (e.g., if Field 1 is specified in Output Options, Field 1 is retained and Field 2 is discarded). These options perform the same function, but are named differently depending on the dialog box you're viewing. When Premiere renders a clip, it interpolates a new field from the retained field instead of using the contents of the retained field, which would cause blockiness. If you specify no field (i.e., Full Size Frame) in the Output Options dialog box, Premiere throws away Field 2, and renders Field 1 as a whole frame.

You should use the Always Deinterlace or Deinterlace option when motion settings cause the field information to be continuously moved vertically by an odd number of pixels, causing fields to flip-flop in and out of the correct order.

Flicker Removal One-pixel lines, diagonal lines, or hard horizontal edges in an RGB image appear to flicker when displayed on an interlaced monitor. Zoomed images may contain lines resized to one pixel, causing the same behavior. The Flicker Removal option in the Field Options dialog box applies a blur to soften still images so they do not flicker when converted to interlaced video.

Deinterlace When Speed is Below 100% The Deinterlace When Speed is Below 100% option is in the Field Options dialog box and enables Premiere to check each frame to see which field should be retained for that frame, based on its position in time. Premiere then deinterlaces the frames, retaining the field that varies from frame to frame. When you use this option for slow motion set to 50% speed, every original field becomes a whole frame, which is as much motion information as can be extracted from the original clip. For slow motion set below 50%, additional fields or frames would need to be synthesized using Frame Blending (see below).

The Deinterlace When Speed is Below 100% option only works when a field is set in the Output Options dialog box. When Full Frame is selected in the Output Options dialog box, Premiere processes time in 1-frame (e.g., 1/30th of a second) segments, and a single field is shorter than can be processed.

This option also enables Premiere to create smoother motion than the Always Deinterlace option. When you select Deinterlace When Speed is Below 100% in Premiere for Windows, you may also need to select Reverse Field to set the correct field order (see Reverse Field above).

Frame Blending Where slow motion is below 50% of the original speed, the motion information contained in the original fields is not sufficient, so Frame Blending synthesizes intermediate frames by doing a dissolve between adjacent frames. Frame Blending, when selected in the Frame Hold Options dialog box, enables Premiere to override the Deinterlace When Speed is Below 100 option and operate on whole frames only.

Field Interpolate The Field Interpolate filter creates a missing field for video captured with only half of the horizontal scan lines but being output at full NTSC dimension. This filter uses line averages to synthesize the missing scan lines.

Field Rendering Problems

Issue

Movies rendered in Adobe Premiere 4.x or later flicker, shake, strobe, or shudder during playback.

Solutions

Do one or more of the following and rerender the movie:

Solution 1 If the movie plays smoothly on the computer monitor but stutters during playback on an NTSC or PAL monitor, make sure that field rendering is enabled. 1. Choose Make > Movie (Premiere 4.x for Mac OS) or Make > Make Movie (Premiere 4.x for Windows) and click Output Options or choose File > Export > Movie (Premiere 5.x), click settings and then select Keyframe and Rendering Options from the Export Movie Settings dialog box. 2. In the Project Output Options dialog box (Premiere 4.x) or the Export Movie Settings dialog box (Premiere 5.x), choose the appropriate field order for your capture card (refer to the capture card documentation to determine the field order) from the Type pop-up menu, and then click OK.

Note: To verify that you selected the correct field order, view the movie in the Clip window and step through the movie frame by frame. If the movie stutters, the field order may be set incorrectly. Repeat steps 1-2 to change the field order.

When Premiere renders a movie, the movie's field order should match the capture board's field order. For example, if the video capture card is field 1-dominant, then you should render field 1 first when making the movie. A movie whose field dominance is opposite that of the playback device will play with stuttered movement.

Solution 2 If the video in the Clip window exhibits a "combing" effect (every other scan line is shifted to the left), view the clip on an NTSC or PAL (video) monitor. The Clip window on a computer monitor displays both fields at the same time, resulting in a sort of combing effect (every other scan line appears shifted). This is an inevitable result of displaying an interlaced image on a progressive scan monitor. When played back on an NTSC or PAL monitor, the fields are displayed sequentially, resulting in smooth playback.

Solution 3 If the movie contains video clips to which speed changes have been applied, deinterlace the clip or turn on Frame Blending, according to the degree of the speed change: 1. Select the clip with speed change in the Construction window (Premiere 4.x) or the Timeline (Premiere 5.x). 2. Complete one of the following, depending on the speed change: - If the speed change is greater than 100%, choose Clip > Field Options (Premiere 4.x) or Clip > Video > Field Options (Premiere 5.x), select Always Deinterlace, and then click OK. - If the speed change is between 50-99%, choose Clip > Field Options (Premiere 4.x) or Clip > Video > Field Options (Premiere 5.x), select Deinterlace When Speed is Below 100%, and then click OK. - If the speed change is less than 50%, choose Clip > Frame Hold Options (Premiere 4.x) or Clip > Video > Frame Hold (Premiere 5.x), select Frame Blending, and then click OK. 3. If you use Premiere for Windows, choose Clip > Field Options (Premiere 4.x) or Clip > Video > Field Options (Premiere 5.x), select Reverse Field Dominance, and then click OK. 4. Choose Make > Movie (Premiere 4.x for Mac OS) or Make > Make Movie (Premiere 4.x for Windows) and click Output Options; or, choose File > Export > Movie (Premiere 5.x), click Settings, and then select Keyframe and Render Options from the pop-up menu. 5. Confirm that the correct field is chosen in the Type pop-up menu (Premiere 4.x) or the Field Settings menu (Premiere 5.x).

When some effects, such as motion, are applied to an interlaced clip, it may be necessary to instruct Premiere to handle the fields differently. Normally, Premiere renders each field in a frame sequentially, then proceeds to the next frame (i.e., A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2, and so on).

When you slow the clip down to 50%, however there are twice many frames but the fields are no longer sequential (i.e., A1, A2, A1, A2, B1, B2, B1, B2, C1, and so on). To prevent this, you can enable the Deinterlace When Speed is Below 100% option, which tells Premiere to throw away the most appropriate field in each frame based on the clip's speed setting. When the speed setting goes to 50%, every original field becomes a whole frame (which is as much motion information as can be extracted for the original clip). In the case where slow-motion is below 50% speed, Frame Blending synthesizes intermediate frames by doing a dissolve between adjacent frames. Frame Blending overrides the Deinterlace When Speed is Below 100% option only when operating on whole frames.

The Always Deinterlace option is similar to the Deinterlace When Speed is Below 100% option, with the exception that is tells Premiere to always keep the field specified in the Output options and interpolate the missing fields. For example, if Field 1 is specified, Premiere will retain Field 1 of every frame and throw away Field 2. Then when rendering, Field 2 is recreated as an interpolation from Field 1.

The Deinterlace When Speed is Below 100% and Always Deinterlace options work as expected in Premiere for Mac OS. However, Premiere for Windows reverses the field dominance automatically whenever speed is other than 100%. While clips with a negative speed value (i.e., clips that play backwards) will play back correctly when field dominance is reversed, you must select Reverse Field Dominance for clips with a positive speed change.

Solution 4 If you applied motion to a video clip so that the field order has become confused, deinterlace the clip: 1. Select the clip with incorrect field order in the Construction window (Premiere 4.x) or Timeline (Premiere 5.x), then choose Clip > Field Options Premiere 4.x or Clip > Video > Field Options (Premiere 5.x). 2. In the Field Options dialog box, select Always Deinterlace and click OK.

If Motion settings cause video to move vertically by an odd number of pixels, the pixels from Field 1 are moved into the physical location of Field 2, effectively reversing the field dominance. You have two options for correcting this condition. If the frame position is shifted but stationary, select Reverse Field Dominance in the Field Options dialog box. However, if the frame position continues to move vertically, it will continue to flip-flop dominance as it moves through its vertical range, so any setting will be right at some positions but wrong at others. In this case, select Always Deinterlace in the Field Options dialog box.

Solution 5 If motion, a filter, or transition has been applied, causing the field information to be reversed, such as the Vertical Flip or Backwards (Video) filter, reverse the field order. 1. Select the clip with incorrect field order in the Construction window (Premiere 4.x) or the Timeline (Premiere 5.x), then choose Clip > Field Options (Premiere 4.x) or Clip > Video > Field Options (Premiere 5.x). 2. In the Field Options dialog box, select Reverse Field Dominance, then click OK.

If the original field order is opposite the output order, as when you've applied the Backward (Video) filter, select Reverse Fields. This will correct the problem and enable Premiere to render the project quickly because no interpolation is necessary.

Solution 6 If a source clip was captured using a different capture board with different field dominance, fields have been reversed by incorrect settings on a digital disk recorder, or field-rendered animations specified incorrect field order, correct the field order for that clip. 1. Select the clip with incorrect field order in the Construction window (Premiere 4.x) or Timeline (Premiere 5.x), then choose Clip > Field Options (Premiere 4.x) or Clip > Video > Field Options (Premiere 5.x). 2. In the Field Options dialog box, select Reverse Field Dominance, then click OK.

Most of the time, the field order of a video clip doesn't matter. As long as you use the same capture card to capture and play back the clip, and have specified the correct field order in the Output dialog box, the video will be smooth. However, a different field order may be introduced into clips when you use different equipment to capture some of the source footage, or specify the wrong field order for rendered animations, or the field order has been reversed by some other digital source (e.g., incorrect field settings on a digital disk recorder). In this case, you can correct the field order for individual clips by selecting Reverse Fields.

Solution 7 If still images with high-contrast, one-pixel lines; hard-edged objects; or many diagonal lines flicker, turn on Flicker Removal in the Field Options dialog box. 1. Select the still image in the Construction window (Premiere 4.x) or Timeline (Premiere 5.x), then choose Clip > Field Options (Premiere 4.x) or Clip > Video > Field Options (Premiere 5.x). 2. In the Field Options dialog box, select Flicker Removal, then click OK.

Note: When you zoom in on an image, lines in the image may be reduced to a one-pixel width. Therefore, you may see this same problem in zoomed images.

Solution 8 If the project contains a frozen frame from a video clip, deinterlace the clip. 1. Select the clip with the frozen frame in the Construction window (Premiere 4.x) or Timeline (Premiere 5.x), then choose Clip > Frame Hold (Premiere 4.x) or Clip > Video > Frame Hold (Premiere 5.x). 2. In the Frame Hold Options dialog box, select Deinterlace, then click OK.

If you have a frozen frame from a motion video, the individual fields may contain motion information. When you deinterlace the clip, only one field is retained and a new synthesized field fits exactly into the retained field, eliminating the vibration.

from http://www.adobe.com/supportservice/custsupport/SOLUTIONS/104b2.htm.

Film look

If you shot with a D200 you probably used the lens that comes standard with the camera. If so your footage will lack the detail in the shadows and high-lights that film has. It also will be too sharp and hard looking. Premiere's contrast filter is useful but if you have Boris Effects the combination of intensified color and gamma tweaking is very handy. Making graduated semi-transparent color masks in Premiere's titling utility is also effective. Try a little gaussian blur to compensate for the hard lens. If you have downloaded Premiere 5.1a then you should have a bunch of Quicktime filters with scratch, dust, sepia, old Technicolor effects etc. Less is more with the scratches. I made a good scratch and dust effect by capturing a piece of blank super8 leader, upping the contrast on it and luma keying it over the video footage. Perseverance and tweaking with anti-aliasing and blur was necessary. Film float is the hardest to fake. I've tried a couple of times but couldn't really be bothered to wait for the rendering over and over again to check adjustments. Digieffects sell plugins for AE that do film look stuff but it's about US$600 for each characteristic.

In the 5.1a update there is an effect that renders your project into a grainy film look. It takes a while but comes out pretty decent.

I have recently had to match dv footage with telecined film footage. The QuickTime filter is a bit unsubtle and cheesy. The best match I got was by treating the footage as below.

1. Use "Film Grain.8bf" filter copied to premiere plugins from Photoshop 5 (If you have it)- use a low setting like 2depending on how subtle you want it.

2. Adjust gamma filter to suit look depending on original image contrast (1.2 - 1.4)

3. Adjust color saturation (hue and sat) to fine tune.

4. Select Video/Field options to "always Deinterlace" - this will make the movement less "electric". You shouldn't have to change frame rate unless you want a more jerky silent film look. Finally - tweak tweak tweak until you're happy. (It helps if you have some film reference material - either telecined or even a bitmap still you can open in another window for direct comparison.)

Filters

Q. I have a 30 minute clip where the picture is dark. Is it possible to use brightness and contrast filter to improve the picture and make it lighter? Or if there is another way out?

(see manual page 291ff for more on filters)

A. It would be quicker to change the brightness/contrast during capture if your software allows this than to use a Premiere filter, thus saving lots of rendering time. Otherwise, Vixen (http://www.xentrik.demon.co.uk/) is a great tool for this kind of work if you find the Premiere filters don't give the results you seek. I had some marginal tape for a wedding's 'love story.' It was a little too dark. Vixen worked great, but since did have some flexibility due to the nature of the content, so we made a copy of the clip and put the copy on track 2, with the original in track 1. We made a Better Guassian Blur (I think the filter came from the Filter Factory), but with it you can select the amount of blur. Then I adjusted Brightness and Constrast, increasing brightness quite a bit, and lowering constrast some. Finally, we made the clip about 50% transparent and rendered. It then brighten up the clip and give the scene a nice soft-filter look, that worked well the previous and following scenes.

Q. I tried the brightness contrast filter but nothing happened. Can someone tell me how to use this filter please?

A. Try 10% brightness as a start and increase as needed. Also, may need to adjust contrast if it gets too bright. I'm not sure what your footage is of, but mine usually includes a lot of stainless steel (I work for a machinery manufacturing company). For my purposes the Levels filter does a better job than the Brightness & Contrast filter does.

Frame Hold

I do this all the time. In fact I did it about 5 or 6 times today. I usually will cut the clip so the frame I want is on its own clip at the end. I then double click it so it is on the left monitor. I then move the cursor to the right side end. I then hit control-shift-M. The frame pops up on its own window. I then hit control-s and name it what ever I want. Then I go to the duration button on the frame. Type 3: return. Then click anywhere in the frame and while holding the button down drag it onto the timeline just after the clip. Make sure that you hit either flicker removal or always deinterlace on the Video button. A shorthand way is to right click over the still image on the time line and then hit Video then hit Field options. Otherwise it has a strange look to it. This sounds like a pain, but it only takes me about 5-6 seconds if I'm kind of hyper to do the whole thing. Since you already have that clip at 3 seconds, just copy and paste it right next to the original 3 second clip (on the right), right click on it, select Video>Frame> and then Hold on Outpoint (that's the right end of that same clip). Then right click on it again, select Video>Field and then check the Flicker removal box. That's all there is to it, in your particular case. In short, you can always use any clip or portion of a clip again just for frame holding purposes, but be sure to apply the Flicker Removal thing, or it will jitter on you during playback. Another method is to set your timeline cursor at the exact frame you want to create a still frame of, then under File>Export> click Frame. Then when that frame appears in a new window, drag it to the time line and place it (just like a new clip) at the right end of the original clip. You can further stretch it to fit the time period you want it to fill. You may or may not need to add the Flicker Removal thing to it. Since this new frame is really a still bitmap (.bmp), you shouldn't have to, I find.

Good looking titles

Try this....

Make a 3000 x 2400 pixel black frame as a background layer. Use R,G and B values all equal 0 (zero).

Create a new transparent layer.

Use the text tool to make a white Cooper Bold font. For a start use a size that is as large as you can use. For a starting color, use a non saturating white - R=232 G=232 B=232. Don't use 255 for these values or you will have "blooming" and the letters will look fuzzy.

Set the color to a black with R,G,B all set to 17 - ( a very dark gray that will be just above 7.5 IRE level in video).

Use a "black" edge outline use one thick enough to make it noticeable but don't go overboard. You could try the PS magic wand, 'similar' and 'stroke' commands to edge-outline, after turning off the "preserve transparency" check box in the layers pallet. Also, add a difussed (blurred) drop shadow pointing to 5 O'clock. Buy Alien Skins PS tools for a really good one shadow maker. You might want to turn the background layer off to see the edge/shadow detail while you're working.

Flatten the whole mess and export as a Tiff file. You can reduce the image size to 1500 X 1200 if you want. PS will make less jaggy fonts if you start double size and reduce it when your ready to export.

Use the Luma key in Premiere after sticking the Tiff title on the superimpose track. Set the key level to about 2 or 3. This will cut off the 0,0,0 black background but everything else will show up. The chroma key doesn't work nearly as cleanly as luma.

The results will look good on light or dark video or on scenes that have a mix of both. Between the white (or light pastel would OK too) and edge outline/shadow combo you have it all covered for good contrast - hence readability.

Also don't use the default settings on your "TV" monitor they usually crank everything way up so the picture blooms by using too much bright/contrast/color levels. Get someone to set your monitor up with an external SMPTE bar generator and pay special attention to the "pluge" settings and where to set brightness for white (100 IRE).

(Thanks to Chas Smiley for this)

Keyboard shortcuts

Five-frame KB Shortcut

After 1 year use with Premiere 4 & 5 I am trying to edit using keyboard only. Can anyone get the SHIFT + left/right arrows to move the source(or playback) window five frames in P5.1a as the quick reference card suggests? Single frame shuttle is painfully slow.

Works fine for me - just tested it. Exactly five frames each way and it also works in the program window. Each window must first be selected of course. - click on it with the mouse and a frame will display around the window. There is probably a keyboard shortcut to selecting the window but I don't know it. Already too much stuff in my head.

Keyboard Toggle thru Windows

You can toggle through all windows by pressing Control+TAB keys

Programming the keyboard

It's about programming the keyboard. A friend of mine wrote a small gismo that can be downloaded from http://ansatte.delfidata.no/martin/pbp It enables you to program functions to the keyboard that otherwise only is reachable with the click of a mouse.

Quick center in Motion

CTRL-Center is an undocumented way to center start and finish points in one go.

The Keyboard file

The file Keyboard.txt is contained in Premiere/Plugins. This file identifies the following keyboard shortcuts, although they don't all seem to work on all setups.

# General section for all windows

keyPlayToOut=A,bAlt+bCtrl+bShift

keyPreview=ENTER

keyPlay=`

keyPlay=L

keyPlay=5

keyPlayInOut=A,bAlt+bShift

keyPlayToOut=A,bAlt

keyPlayFat=A,bCtrl

keyStopUnconditional=K

keyStop=SPACEBAR

keyLoop=A,bCtrl+bShift

keyReverse=A,bCtrl+bAlt

keyReverse=J

keyFirstMark=UP_ARROW,bCtrl+bShift

keyLastMark=DOWN_ARROW,bCtrl+bShift

keyGotoIn=UP_ARROW,bCtrl

keyGotoIn=Q

keyGotoOut=

DOWN_ARROW,bCtrl

keyGotoOut=W

keySetIn=I

keySetIn=E

keySetOut=O

keySetOut=R

keyClearIn=D

keyClearOut=F

keyClearInOut=G

keyRight=RIGHT_ARROW

keyRight=2

keyRightMany=RIGHT_ARROW,bShift

keyRightMany=4

keyLeft=LEFT_ARROW

keyLeft=1

keyLeftMany=LEFT_ARROW,bShift

keyLeftMany=3

keyStart=UP_ARROW

keyStart=A

keyEnd=DOWN_ARROW

keyEnd=S

keyInsert=,

keyOverlay=.

keyLift=/

keyDelete=DELETE

keyDelete=BACKSPACE

keyLinkDelete=BACKSPACE,bShift

keyRippleDelete=BACKSPACE,bAlt

keyMarkUnNamed=*

keySizeUp=Y,bCtrl

keySizeDown=U,bCtrl

keyModeNext=U,bCtrl+bShift

keyModePrev=Y,bCtrl+bShift

keyList1Up=»,bCtrl

keyList2Up=»,bCtrl+bShift

keyList1Down=9,bCtrl

keyList2Down=9,bCtrl+bShift

keyDeleteListItem=BACKSPACE,bCtrl

keyGotoPosition=T

keyToggleMode=T,bCtrl

keyNextEdit=RIGHT_ARROW,bCtrl+bShift

keyPrevEdit=LEFT_ARROW,bCtrl+bShift

#[1001] Trim Window

keyCycleFocus=ESCAPE

keyTrimLeftSub=LEFT_ARROW

keyTrimLeftSubMany=LEFT_ARROW,bShift

keyTrimRightSub=RIGHT_ARROW

keyTrimRightSubMany=RIGHT_ARROW,bShift

#[1002] Timeline Window

keyTrimLeftSub=LEFT_ARROW,bAlt

keyTrimLeftSubMany=LEFT_ARROW,bShift+bAlt

keyTrimRightSub=RIGHT_ARROW,bAlt

keyTrimRightSubMany=RIGHT_ARROW,bShift+bAlt

keyRollRight=UP_ARROW,bAlt

keyRollRightMany=UP_ARROW,bAlt+bShift

keyRollLeft=DOWN_ARROW,bAlt

keyRollLeftMany=DOWN_ARROW,bAlt+bShift

keySlipLeft=LEFT_ARROW,bCtrl+bAlt

keySlipLeftMany=LEFT_ARROW,bCtrl+bAlt+bShift

keySlipRight=RIGHT_ARROW,bCtrl+bAlt

keySlipRightMany=RIGHT_ARROW,bCtrl+bAlt+bShift

keySlideLeft=LEFT_ARROW,bAlt

keySlideLeftMany=LEFT_ARROW,bAlt+bShift

keySlideRight=RIGHT_ARROW,bAlt

keySlideRightMany=RIGHT_ARROW,bAlt+bShift

keyCursorMark0=),bShift

keyCursorMark1=!,bShift

keyCursorMark2=@,bShift

keyCursorMark3=#,bShift

keyCursorMark4=$,bShift

keyCursorMark5=5,bShift

keyCursorMark6=^,bShift

keyCursorMark7=&,bShift

keyCursorMark8=*,bShift

keyCursorMark9=(,bShift

keyCursorMarkUnNamed=*,bShift

keySetWAIn=U,bAlt

keySetWAOut=Y,bAlt

#Timeline Window Tools

keyConstTool1=V

keyConstTool2=M

keyConstTool3=P

keyConstTool4=C

keyConstTool5=H

keyConstTool6=Z

keyConstTool7=U

keyConstTool8=N

keyZoomToAll=\

keyZoomIn==

keyZoomIn=+

keyZoomIn=+,bShift

keyZoomOut=-

keyZoomOut=_,bShift

keyInsert=8,bCtrl

keyOverlay=7,bCtrl

#[18000] Movie Capture Window

keyPlay=`

keyStepFwd=RIGHT_ARROW

keyStepBack=LEFT_ARROW

keyFastFwd=RIGHT_ARROW,bShift

keyFastFwd=F

keyRewind=LEFT_ARROW,bShift

keyRewind=R

keyRecord=G

keyStop=S

keyPause=SPACEBAR

keyEject=E

keyLog=ENTER

keyTabField=ESCAPE

keyReelName=N

keySetIn=I

keySetOut=O

#[20200] Stop Motion Window

keyRecord=G

keyRecord=SPACEBAR

key0=0

key1=1

key2=2

key3=3

key4=4

key5=5

key6=6

key7=7

key8=8

key9=9

keyDone=ESCAPE

Making autorun VCDs

I created the following text file to be placed in the root directory of the CD: autorun.inf with the following subdirectory - [autorun] open=MyProgram.exe, with "MyProgam" representing the name of the file I am burning to VCD. However, I could not load the autorun.inf file while loading the video file in Video CD Maker Delux. I then burned both the Video CD files from the disk that was previously created, and the autorun.inf ([autorun] open=MyProgram.exe) files using Adaptec's Easy CD Creater. Upon insertion of the disk that now has VCD data as well as the autorun.inf, nothing happens. What I'm I doing wrong? Hope you can make sense of all this, I haven't been at this technical stuff too long I'm not sure if this is your problem, but I noticed that you list the name of the file you are tring to autoplay as MyProgram.EXE. If MyProgram is a video file that you want MediaPlayer, Quicktime, etc. to play, the correct extention would not be *.exe (should be MyProgram.avi or MyProgram.mpg, MyProgram.mov, etc.) Since windows uses the file name extension to know which program to use to run a file, the *.exe extenstion can only be an "executiable" program file.(a file compiled using Visual Basic, C++, etc.) All I can add is that the movie files on a VCD have the .dat extension and are in the mpegav sub-directory (at least on my VCDs), so you should point your player here to look for the dat file. I've been down this road a couple of months ago. The problem is that everything needs to be written to the CD at the same time (i.e. -- your autorun.inf file plus the normal VCD files). Unless you want the gory details of why this is so, you'll just have to believe me. Unfortunately, version 4 of the Adaptec software doesn't let you add any user-specified files (the autorun file...) to the "list" of files before it writes them all to the CD. What is extremely frustrating is that there was a way you could do this with the previous versions! The "old" way allowed the process to be interrupted after the VCD files were created but before they were written to the CD. You ended up with the standard data CD screen where you could then drag and drop the autorun file to the root directory and then write all the files out to the CD at once. I spent weeks researching this and was in contact with Adaptec's tech support people, who basically blew me off. They thought the notion that their new gee-whiz update couldn't do something the perfectly good, previous version could to be impossible. They said they'd try to duplicate the "problem" and get back to me. That was four months ago I haven't heard a word since! I edit sports videos and I wanted to make one version for customers that they could play on their DVD player (hooked to their TV...) or on their computer, via the CD-ROM drive. All I needed to do to accomplish this is to add a simple autorun.inf file to the root directory that would start Windows Media Player and play the video. Finally, I gave up and decided to just be CD-ROM - compatible (no VCD/DVD player compatibility...). There is one big advantage, however, in that you are not limited to the VHS-like (320x240) level of resolution of the VCD format. Most of my stuff starts out as DV which is 720x480. It takes a pretty fast machine to play full DV resolution MPEG1 video on a PC (400MHz+) but if you cut it down to about 75%, it will play on most machines of recent vintage (266-300 MHz...). This looks a heck of a lot better than doubled VCD MPEG1. Version 3.5 of the cd creator is the last version that you can break out of and add the autorun file to.

Making star field backgrounds

Many of the starfields in StarWars Phantom menace were created in Photoshop. Quick and ez... Just fill a blank canvus with black, add monochromatic noise at about 50, then use threshold to make your points of light. You can then add a little blur, tint with colorize and add a few more layers with different colors. It should take you less than 2 minutes. You can then take the layers into Premiere one at a time and animate a little movement between layers using screen as the transfer mode. Total time for the project should be less than the time it took me to type this. (and it's how many of the starfields used in Phantom Menace were created). There is a great little program called Universe available for download from <<http://www.diardsoftware.com>> which makes generating stellar images a doddle.

MPEG and Video CDs

MPEG specs for making VCDs

Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) sources should conform to the Video CD specifications. For more information, please refer to the Video CD Specification Version 2.0 by Phillips Consumer Electronics, B.B (White Book) and MPEG Standard (ISO/IEC 111172) documents.

The MPEG video data stream has three possible formats:

NTSC

Film

PAL

The following table lists the picture size and picture rate for each format: Format Picture Size Picture Rate

NTSC 352x240 29.97 Hz Film 352x240 29.976 Hz PAL 352x288 25 Hz The maximum video stream bit rate varies. For tracks, the rate is 1151929.1 bits per second. For the segment area, the rate is limited by the maximum bit rate and the requirements of the Audio data stream. The video pack size is 2324 bytes.

MPEG Audio Parameters

Layer 2

Sampling Frequency 44.1 kHz

Bit rate: -for audio/video tracks: 224KBits/sec -for segment area ranges: 0 to 384KBits/sec

Mode: stereo Dual Channel Intensity Stereo Single Channel only allowed for segment area

The audio pack size is 23304 bytes. As a source, you can use MPEG system files which are interleaved video and audio and MPEG video files where Video CD Creator allows the interleave with audio data in MPEG audio.

Autorun Macro

Create a flat text file called autorun.inf. Copy the text listed below but replace MyProgram.exe with the exact name of your exe. Place it on the root level of the disc.

[autorun] open=MyProgram.exe

This works for PC's but you're going to have to find some other solution for a Mac.

Putting videos on CD ROM

I would recommend MPEG4 from Microsoft. The encoder is free and the results are much better than MPEG1, Cinepak, Indeo and even Sorenson if you don't got Media Cleaner Pro (Who has?). Pick up the Microsoft Media On Demand Producer at Microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia. Its a great program.

MPEG4 is a streaming solution, but you can use the ASF(advanced streaming format) files everywhere. The Media On Demand Producer can make the files for CD-ROM, Netvideo and even PowerPoint presentations. The only difference from MPEG1is that MPEG4 offers a much greater variety of resolutions and bit rates. The sound is also much better than MPEG1because it is compressed using MP3. I have made great things in 354x288 125-200 KB/sec.

Using Ligos MPEG converter

Just FYI, if you want to make Video CDs with Adaptec's software, you'll have to change the setting for the audio encoding bit rate. Our default setting in LSX-MPEG, 128 kBit/sec, should be changed to 224 kBit/sec. Adaptec's Video CD Creator will accept files made with 128 kBit/sec audio, but it'll put them in the wrong directory (Segment instead of MpegAV) for some reason, so the Video CD won't work the way it should. Not sure why they do this, but I just wanted to make sure it wasn't a problem with our software! Thanks for trying it out!

http://www.ligos.com

The "no audio track" is probably the culprit in bothinstances. When you encode with no audio the Encoder doesn't multiplex videoand audio so the resulting video file has a .m1v extension. You can justrename it to .mpg and it should be fine for playback but the Adaptecneeds an audio track (even if it just silence to conform to the VideoCDspec.). If you have a video editor you can insert a "silent" audio trackwith no data and then encode it and it should work fine.

MPEG Plug-ins

I have good experiece with the Xintech encoder. You can download the plug=in for free if you are a user of the Encoder 2.2 and the player 3.0. MegaPEG does render into mpeg1 directly from the timeline, without creating new avi files, and the avi clips in the timeline are not affected. I have not tried mpeg2, but seem to recall a version that does. Go to digigami.com to get more detail. I would check Panasonic MPEG1 Encoder Plugin for Premiere. Quality seems to be very good. You can download tryout from www.pwi.co.jp/products/mpeg/. Tell us how it compares to other you already tried. I tried the Panasonic mpeg encoder, and was surprised at how seamlessly it installed and worked, right off the bat. I did an export of a 14min program right from the timeline, and that took 2.5hr. Compares favourably with the fact that an export to DV tape (DV300) using the MiroDV300 codec took 4hr for the same program. However the picture quality was noticeably degraded, and slightly more jerky. I then looked for the advanced controls to make it better, but they were greyed out. I think you need to set them first time, before you do an export. Conclusion: still a practical proposition. I am curently using this external AVI to MPEG converter it looks very good, you can find it at, <<http://www.geocities.com/virtualdub/>> Ulead Media Studio Pro 5.2 also does conversions and editing just like Adobe, however I am having problems with the conversions on large MPEG files don't know why yet ! I am using the LSX-MPEG encoder from ligos (http://www.ligos.com). It's the fastest software encoder I know, has exellent quality and works without bugs. Even with large files. I use it to convert to MPEG1 & 2. The MPEG2 files I use to make DVD-rom movies. I have seen what XING can do and I was impressed Digigami works from the Premiere timeline. www.ligos.com www.vitecmm.com www.digigami.com bbMPEG MPEG2 is a variable bit rate. Most encoders handle a range of MPEG2 rates, but they are generally limited. Are you looking for a hardware accelerated MPEG2 encoder, software encoder, or full hardware codec? If you are looking for something DVD quality or better, Matrox's new RT2000 comes with a dual head G400 video card, firewire, Premeire RT (realtime effects), analogue input and outputs, and has hardware accelerated DV and MPEG2 encoders (MSRP $1300). The MPEG2 encoder supports I-frame, and 10-25 Mbps streams (1.2-3.1MB/s). DVD is generally 1.2-1.5MB/s. There are more expensive MPEG2 RT systems by Pinnacle and Matrox which handle even broader MPEG2 rates, but the cards are more in the $7000 range. I'm not really familiar with high end, or software based systems, but hopefully this helps.

NTSC viewing

Frame size for optimum NTSC viewing

The overscan is a factor of the NTSC image, not your capture card. The actual size of an onscreen NTSC image is 608x456. This is not only permitted by the DC30+, but actually recommended on your captures. It is the section of the manual that references "TV cropping". Gives about a 15% increase in performance without losing any of the viewable images. I've never run into problems with converting 640x480 still images to a 608x456 format with the DC30+, but on the DC30+ you do need to have all of the images the same size. Thus, if you have video, you would capture at 608x456, and stills as well. You might consider re-sizing stills in Photoshop. Another approach would be to try using a scan converter between your video stream to the monitor and your computer. The scan converter will intercept the video, split it, sending one signal to your monitor and another to your NTSC device. The better ones allow you a fair amount of latitude in adjusting the picture size up or down. What the scan converter would be doing would be the same thing as your miro card, re-sizing the image from 640x480 to 608x456.

Picture In Picture (PIP or inset)

Creating a picture-in-picture (PIP) effect is very easy in Premiere. These instructions are based on using Premiere 5.x, but should also apply to 4.x.

1. Place the background video in V1a or b. 2. Place the video to be inset on V2 or higher. 3. Click on the clip in V2 to highlight. 4. Right click. Select Video ->Motion. Or from the menu bar select Clip->Video->Motion. 5. Set both the Start and End keyframe zoom percentages to the desired size (either enter a value, use the arrows or use the scroll tool). 6. Set the X and Y coordinates for the Start and End keyframes as desired (enter a value or position the clip in the path window).

To keep the inset video in the same place throughout the effect, identical values should be entered in both the Start and End keyframes.

(thanks to Nick Manley Jul 31, 2000)

Playback speed, slow motion, reverse play

Smooth Slow Motion

VIDEO | FRAME HOLD | FRAME BLENDING = ON

Slow Motion

In the frame hold window, check (or click...whatever) on the frame blending.

Reversing a clip

According to The Wise Manual: Clip-->Filter-->Reverse

or

The easiest way -> Right click on clip -> Speed -> -100%!

But the -100% trick may mess up the field order! (result will be jerky video). This worked fine when used with analog video on a DC20, but for digital at least, maybe it should be avoided. The Reverse-filter is safer.

Playback speed

Have I discovered an undocumented function & tip ?

Mouse Clicking on Play button in Source window or Program window plays clips fwd... O.K Clicking again while clip plays increases play speed and subsequent clicks will increase speed again and again until playback can not keep up. Alt + click on a clip playing at hi speed will drop speed to normal speed instantly. Real cool way to search clip or program.

According to the QRC, tilde (~) starts playback, successive presses make previewing faster and ALT-tilde plays in reverse.

If you're a miro Instant Video user, you can see all sorts of preview file data by CTRL-clicking (undocumented) the gray area in the MIV palette window.

Another undocumented trick someone else came up with recently was to press CTRL-F12 as the first action after starting P4/5. That gives access to some interesting looking debug data that Adobe seems to have forgotten to take out of the retail versions. You only get one chance to open the window at the start of each session and it cannot be reopened if you close it.

This line should read as:

Alt + click on play button while a clip is playing at hi speed will drop speed to normal speed instantly and the space bar will pause (freeze) the playback. Real cool.

I think it is Ctrl+alt+~ for reverse playback and yes the tilde will increase the speed when pushed successively in reverse playback.

Rendering issues

Speed up rendering

When you are in the process of adding transitions etc., try making a preview of that particular effect, as the files that are made by the preview (which will be found in your "Adobe preview files" folder) are recalled to use when you do the final render, therefore reducing the amount of time it takes to render.

Field Settings to Smooth Rendering

When rendering a speed change in a clip with 5.1a and FAST AVMaster it looks awful. It jitters, jumps and so on. When not rendering and just playing the "speed-clip" from timeline it looks OK. What am I missing here.

You are rendering fields in the wrong order. Right-click the clip, and play around with the settings for 'fields'

Try always de-interlace in the field options. if it doesn't work try another setting in the same window.

Moving clips without losing rendering

I know of one way to move the clips in the time line without losing the rendered transitions, etc. but it is a fair amount of extra work. Still if you spent 2 minutes rendering a transition, it is a big plus if you don't have to do it again every time you make an upstream change in the movie. Here is what you do: When you preview a transition or other rendered film clip, do a "File>Open", then double click the "Adobe Premiere Preview Files" folder, then double click the folder with the same name as your project. This gives you access to all of the rendered film clips. Since they are sorted in date time sequence, you will find the one you just previewed at the tail end of the list. You will also note the low order portion of these clip's long name is the start and end position of the clip's location on the time line. You can verify this by opening the Info window and click the clip (or transition) in the time line to place its data in the Info window. When you have located the rendered .AVI that you desire, click on the "Open" button to place it in the preview window, play it to make sure it is the correct one, then move the clip to Video Track 2 or higher, immediately above the original source clip. Now you can slide the movie up or down at will in the timeline (Using of course the multi-track tool or an equivalent function) and the rendered .AVI will move with it's source clip and since the .AVI is on a high order Video track, it will take precedence over data on the Video 1A and Video 1Btracks and suppress the re-rendering of that data any time you do a Preview or Export-to-Tape.

Clean Renders

The way miro instant video works is by rendering all the transitions, filters, motions, overlays/composites to the hard drive as separate avi's. Then it compiles all the avis in order along with all the video that does not need to be rendered. If your system was low on resources or memory when they rendered, you may get an occasional glitch. Also I have found that If you changed or edit a graphic and save it as the same file, instant video will not change this edit when you go to do a final output. To work around all this, I have found that to get it to work the best is after you edit everything, save, exit and reload the computer from scratch. Then exit out of all programs that aren't relevant to premiere. Load premiere and re-render the entire sequence. The best way to clear what miro instant video has already rendered is to use the tool in premiere that moves entire lines. Go to the beginning of the project move everything over and then back, this will clear instant video, or you can also just save it as something else and opt out for the save preview files, both will do the same thing. Also go through and make sure that in your list of files loaded in premiere that you only have what you need loaded. After everything is rendered, save, restart the computer again. Close out of unnecessary apps, load premiere and export video to instant video. This for me works flawlessly and I usually do very large 1 hour projects with several transitions, sfx, composites and overlays. Hope this helps guys. I know its frustrating when you do a big project and then it skips. When you go to video you almost half to cross your fingers every time to hope for no skips!

Rendering times

When making a movie in avi file using Premier 5.1 it takes forever to render. is there something I am doing wrong?

What can help is to have a closer look in the specifications of your original clips versus the rendering options you have selected during make movie. If you for example uses a clip in 25Fps 720*540 and create a movie with an other resolution, your complete movie in the timeline needs to be rendered. For that reason one of the tricks adobe recommend is to save your movie in the same specs as your original movie.

Rolling, Crawling titles

(see manual, e.g. page 242, for more on titles) Create a new title (File/New/Title) Place it on the timeline on a superimpose track (e.g. Video2), so that you change the transparency to see it over the video on the other tracks. Right click on the title on the timeline, choose Video/Transparency. If your title had a black background, for example, choose Black Alpha Matte. This will allow you to see the text of the title over the other video. Now, for the motion. You right click the title again, choose Video/Motion. The dialogue window that comes up allows you to add motion to your clip from any direction, and stop in the middle like you want. Search in the Premiere help file for "motion" for details. The fuzzy text thing has to do with computer graphics not being the best for video because of their sharp edges, but I don't know enough about it to help. Hopefully someone else can.

Saving frames as still images

Issue: If you export a video frame as a still image from Adobe Premiere 5.x, horizontal lines appear in the image. The lines appear even if you selected Deinterlace in the Special Processing Options dialog box.

Solution: In the Field Options dialog box, set the Processing Otion for the clip to Always Deinterlace and then export the frame from the Timeline:

1. If the clip containing the frame you want to export is not in the Timeline, drag it there. 2. Select the clip in the Timeline and choose Clip > Video > Field Options. 3. Select Always Deinterlace in the Processing Options section of the Field Options dialog box and then click OK. 4. In the Timeline, drag the Edit Line (i.e., current time marker) to the frame you want to export and then choose File > Export > Frame. 5. Enter a name and location for the exported frame and then click OK.

Additional Information

The Field Options settings override the Special Processing Options settings when you export still images or movies from Premiere.

(Thanks to leebosay for this)

Scanning resolution

The following is from Adobe's tech notes:

To determine the proper scan resolution, you need to determine the smallest portion of the image that will fill a frame of your project's final output. Once you have identified this portion, measure its height and width, then note the larger of these two dimensions. For example, consider a photograph that is 5x4 inches. You would like to display a portion of the image that is 4x3 inches and zoom into an area that measures 2x1.5 inches. The smallest portion of the image that will fill a frame of your project is 2x1.5 inches, so you note the larger of these two dimensions, which is 2 inches. Refer to this value as the source dimension.

Next, note the dimensions of your project's output frame size in pixels, and then choose the larger of the two values as your composition dimension. For example, if a project's output frame size is 640x480 pixels, its output dimension is 640 pixels.

Now you are ready to calculate the appropriate scan resolution using the following formula:

(output dimension) / (source dimension) x (1 sample/pixel) = scan resolution

For example, if the output dimension is 640 pixels and the source dimension is 2 inches, you should use the following scan resolution:

(640 pixels) / (2 inches) x (1 sample/pixel) = 320 samples per inch (spi)

Note that your scanning software may refer to the scan resolution in pixels per inch (ppi) or dots per inch (dpi), but the results are the same.

Thanks to "Stupid User" for posting this on 1/25/01

Smooth slow motion

Use whole multiples of your frame rate. At 50% of a 30fps rate, Premiere doubles each existing frame so you get 15fps. At 33.33%, it triples each existing frame... etc. etc. If you use 45%, Premiere will double or triple one frame and leave the next one single to acheive your requested speed, and the result will be jumps. Also try frame blending (dissolve between each frame) which will create a false intermediate frame position and help to smooth out your slow-mo.

(Thanks to François Gill for this)

The problem with slow mo in Premiere is that when you deinterlace below 100% it throws away one of the fields. This makes for crumby pictures because you've suddenly lost half your picture information. To get around this it has been suggested that you place the identical piece of slow mo video on v1 A&B, place a 50% cross dissolve across the length of the video, then on the video on track 1B go into "Video"/ "Field Options" then check the "Reverse Field Dominance" box. This means that the black lines where the second field used to be have now been replaced. I've just checked it out and it definitely looks a lot smoother than straight slow mo.

(Thanks to KingLeonard/William Bell Mar 15, 2001)

My understanding is that the key to smooth slo-mo in Premiere is frame blending, which is probably what you're accomplishing in a roundabout way by using a dissolve. This method is easier and should render faster, but I'll try both to see how they compare...

1. Import the footage, trim as needed, and add it to the Timeline. 2. Select the clip, choose Clip> Video Options> Frame Hold. 3. In the Frame Hold dialog, check Frame Blending. Don't touch any other settings. 4. Choose Clip> Video Options> Field Options, and make sure Deinterlace When Speed Is Below 100% is checked. 5. Choose Clip> Speed, and type in a lower percentage value for the footage, or an exact duration. You can go as low as 33% reasonably cleanly; slower-moving footage can probably go lower. Experiment. 6. Preview to render and playback the frame-blended footage.

(Thanks to John Carswell Mar 16, 2001)

Try this, next time you render some slow mo. In field options, reverse field dominance on and flicker removal on, it gives rock steady slo mo

(Thanks to galaxyprovideo March 27, 2001)

Strange but true??

I found this on the web I hope it helps.

http://www.zenvideo.co.uk/editing_tips.htm Smooth slow motion- Real time slow motion is possible with cards like the RT2000/2500 using Adobe Premiere. But the results are so jerky that they're useless. There have been a number of suggestions on how to improve the quality of slow motion video, such as offsetting a second duplicate layer of video by one frame with 50% transparency applied, or outputting a clip as a series of stills, then importing them as an image sequence and reducing the speed. By far the simplest method is as follows. Right click on the clip you want to slow down - choose the desired speed (say 50%) then drag & drop the "Brightness" filter (from Video/Adjust/Brightness & Contrast) onto the clip. The result renders very quickly and gives very smooth slow motion.

Thanks to The Edit Grotto - 02:08pm Feb 11, 2002 Pacific

Still images

Save still image

Export / Frame in file menu

or press ctrl + shft + m

Export all frames of avi as still images

Once the avi file you want is on the Premiere time line extend the yellow bar over the area you want to out put as BMP's. Click on make movie, and in the output options select BMP rather than AVI. Youou can also export a "filmstrip" to bring it into Photoshop frame by frame.

Double still images

My problem is that when I exported a frame from the video clip in Premier, an object in the image appeared to be doubled (two objects appeared, instead of one) if the object in the video clip was in motion. Any help to solve this problem?

Deinterlace your still.

Photoshop Plugins in Premiere

Copy them from Photoshop folder and paste them to the appropriate plug-in folder for Prem. 4.2. I can't remember where that is in 4.2 but it will be obvious enough.

Some Photoshop plugins (the 8bf extension) work in Premiere as they are. Others will work after converting them to .prmfiles. Go to Error! Bookmark not defined. <http://pico.i-us.com/> to find many plugins and a converter. Also try Error! Bookmark not defined. <http://members.aol.com/harahh/index.htm> for a plugin converter. Another place for plugins is Error! Bookmark not defined. <http://www.netins.net/showcase/wolf359/plugins.htm>.

Freeze Frames

Try to determine the total length of each still (including the zoom and hold)... let's say 15 sec... Hold for 5, zoom for 5, hold for 5. Set your clip's duration to 15 secs., get in to Motion, center in and out points, set new key points at 5 secs. and 10 secs., set the zoom between seconds 5 and 10, and then set the same zoom factor to the out point. You should then have a 5 secs. hold, a 5secs. zoom, and another 5 secs.hold (with the end position of the zoom).

Tracking mask

This is from the Jan/Feb 2000 Adobe Magazine If the subject is not moving around too much... 1. In Timeline have 3 video tracks, V1,V2,V3. 2. Import your video into Project Window, drag 1 copy into Timeline Video 1A, drag a second copy into Video 2 3. Create a matte to obscure the subjects face (File>New>Title & drag the video clip from the project window into the title window. The clip will appear in the background.) Set your gradient start & end colors to 100% black, click the right half of the oval tool and create an oval (which will be filled with black) over the subjects face. If the subject moves around a bit you can make the oval a bit larger to accomodate the movement. Choose File>Save to save the matte as a title file. 4. Import the title file you just created and drag it from the Project window to the Timeline windows Video 3 track (just above the second copy of the video clip). Set the Outpoint to match the duration of the clip. 5. Select Video 2, Clip>Filters & select an appropiate filter (Crystallize works well), click OK. With the same clip still selected, choose Clip,Video>Transparency. In the Transparency settings dialog box, choose Track Matte from the Key Type pop-up menu, select the Reverse Key Option, and click OK When you preview, you'll see the track matte (black oval) lets the blurred copy of the video show through only within the oval. If the subject moves, you'll have to move the matte to follow: select the Title file in the Timeline & choose Clip>Video>Motion. In the Motion settings dialog box, select the show all option, click Pause & drag the arrow in the timeline to the beginning of the clip. Position the starting point of the oval on the subjects face & match the position of the moving face by dragging the timeline arrow & setting keyframes. (See Chap 9 in the P5 users manual.)

(Thanks to John R. Seneca, MD)

Transitions -- Fade to and from Black Transition

(see page 203 ff of manual for more on transitions) I read about a plug-ins named Ntscar.psd and Ntscbar2.psd which provide this transition. Does anyone know where it can be found. Premiere has a default of a black screen on the timeline wherever there are no clips or transitions. In the transition line, you can use a cross disolve in the beginning of the clip you want to fade in and it will fade in from black to your clip. Make sure your direction arrow for the transition is pointed toward the clip. Use the same method at the end of the clip that you want to fade out, making sure the transition arrow is pointed away from the clip. To fade to and from black I make a black colour matte and use a disolve transition between the video and colour matte Fading from or to Premieres "Black" results in a black that TV's can't handle. Black in video is not really total black. Try making a color matte with all three colors set to 18. That's closer to "legal" black. If you want to fade in from black then put the clip on Video 1B. Place the transition pointing downwards, adjust it's lenght and don't drag any sliders :) Make sure your selected area (the top blue bar) is starting at the start of the timeline. I've noticed when you double click on it to select the full displayed timeline, it is not at the start and needs to be slid over to the left. Use the Info box if needed.

Video CD

Using Adaptec's EZ CD creator to make VCD's which will play on my Pioneer DV-414 player. (my Sony player won't play any CD-R or CD-RW I create so I could not test VCD's on it) I tried NTI's CD maker pro and while it let me create VCD's, I had problems with smooth playback on my DVD player. Adaptec VCD's plays fine on my one player. Have you tried EZ CD? Doesn't it work? Regarding the system clock reference error message with Adaptec EZ VCD creator, I have seen the same thing, although not with mpeg1 files made with the Digigami MegaPEG app. After many attempts to get Adaptec tech support to tell me what's going on (all unsuccessful, by the way) I have found that simply ignoring the error message and proceeding with the VCD creation works just as well. There are two other VCD creators that I've tried. Cequadrat's WinOnCD, and the NTI VCD maker. Both work well and seem a little less quirky that the Adaptec app. I only tried the NTI demo, but liked it fine and may still buy it. Also, both NTI and Cequadrat seem more able/willing to provide good tech support. I understand Adaptec now owns Cequadrat, but they are still separate entities. Adaptec EZ CD Creator is the only one I've found that has two choices for VCD format, one being a straight forward VCD, and the second with a menu option that allows you (in principle) to choose which track you want to go to. I have tried the menu option, but could not get it to work at all. Finally I discovered my dvd player has several track choice features that are just as good, and so have given up on the Adaptec feature. I have seen at the Cequadrat web page a higher end version of WinOnCD that has some other options, but did not want to spend the money. As far as playback of CDR and CDRW's is concerned, if you haven't already tried using gold CDR's on the DVD player that doesn't read the CDR's, you might want to try them out. They seem to work on a lot of CD players that don't read green or blue disks. CDRW's can't be read by a lot of drives and players. I wouldn't count on them working on older DVD players.

Working in the timeline

Using Video track 1B

Put "master scene" clips to Video track 1B instead of the more usual 1A. Master scenes are usually the wide shot coverage and audio but master scenes can also be your longest scenes.

Put intercuts on Video track 1A. Intercuts ( & cutaways) are usually close ups from within the master scene shot with a second camera or as a second take of the scene. Cutaways are shots from different scenes. Edit these clips to length

In Premiere the priority track for playback is 1A. It will play this track before 1B and any other unrendered/preview built layers. Premiere will playback 1B until it finds a clip on 1A. - Voilá Instant vision switcher.

To understand the difference, try it the other way round but do not build previews.

Avoid transitions and fx until edit is assembled as cuts - Old editors adage "If it don't work as a cut, it won't work as a dissolve".

Audio does not work in the same way as the video tracks so you need to mute or remove the audio from some clips or tracks if they get in the way.

I try to pre manage and plan my edit to use this technique as often as I can. I build as much on the 1B track as I can then drop cuts to 1A (often bridging the cuts on 1B).

Brilliant with Synch sound dialogue editing and editing where you need to match action from the master scene to the intercut. Lots of reasons can be found to edit this way.

Learn to lock or mute certain tracks and the power of Premiere speed editing and playback will be revealed. This technique really minimizes preview builds but do not forget to do them occasionally (especially when you start adding in transitions).

The master scene on 1B does not require "cutting up" because the priority playback of 1A automatically switches the playback to the intercut clips on 1A. Simple example. Put a 60 second clip on 1B and put 1 or more 5 second clips on 1a. Play it all back. DO the same but the other way round. Long clip on 1A and short clips on 1B. Play that back.

Targeting Tracks

A nice little trick for "targeting" tracks is to click on the track label in the timeline. e.g. Video 1a. Clicking the label toggles track name to bold or normal and also shows in the drop down target menu below the program monitor. I find this a quick no brainer method and a more visually tactile way of targeting the intended track for insert or overlay of source clips. = refer pages 145-147 of user guide for Adobe prescribed method. The take video and audio buttons also work and are very useful within this tip.

Three-point editing

I too was puzzled by the "Three point edit" concept and even more puzzled that with all the hype about it nothing in any ad nor review ever explained what it was! Prior to Three-point if you wanted to replace a portion of clip A with a section of clip B you had to define the in- and out-points of both clips, i.e. four points, being careful to have the same number of frames in each. In fact I once had a calculator that figured hours, minutes, seconds and frames like hr:mi:sc:fr. But with Three-point editing you only have to define three of the four points and Premiere will accurately determine the remaining one for you.

Separating project and source files

The general stability of the entire Adobe system was also improved when I stopped using the AV drive as a repository for the PPJ Project files. Keep them off the same physical drive as the AVI and other video files. My TitleDeko files and stills are on the AV drive and they don't seem to cause a problem, but I am now starting to move toward putting them somewhere else, too. I don't think moving the audio, however, will help with your problem, but you never know.

Using project trimmer

One thing I have found with the project trimmer is that it doesn't like filenames over 2 or 3 characters long. I too am an Off line editor and use the trimmer frequently. I once captured footage in files called 'Tape1a.avi','Tape1b.avi' etc. However, after the trimmer had done its foul work it produced a batch list that had many recurring filenames. Obviously this meant that one newly captured file would overwrite another, so leaving gaps in the timeline. I found that if I renamed my original captures to 'T1a.avi', T1b.avi' etc. and ran the trimmer again, it worked just fine. Well, in Premiere 4.2 anyway.... Haven't tried it in 5.1yet!

I have found yet another bug with the project trimmer.

I had a clip in my original project that I needed to recapture with a later 'out point'. I did so using the same file name and all went well.

But when I 'project trimmed' and opened the trimmed project, the 'extended clip' stopped at the original out point; Premiere didn't recognize it had been updated (replaced).

The 'off-line all' option always makes my machine crash. Using a FAST AVMaster, has anybody else had this problem?

My solution is to use the trimmer, delete all the low-quality files, open the new, trimmed batch file, recapture all the files, open the new, trimmed project, and when it asks for the files, select the new, high quality stuff.

Although the file names are slightly different, Premiere seems to be clever enough to automatically load in the rest. And the online has always been perfect. I use exactly the same procedure you described. It works fine if all the clips on the timeline are with the corresponding audio. But once you start inserting video over the audio of another clip , the problems start. Very often the audio will be there only in the part of the timeline with the original video. The rest of the audio will be missing. I don't now if I explained this very good , so I'll give you example: We do a lot of multi-camera shooting . The way we edit those is to put the video from each camera to a different track , choose the best audio from one of the cameras. So the timeline on the finish project will be combination of the video from track 1 and 2 but continues audio from track 1. When we use the project trimmer and recapture lot of times the audio from the parts were tr. 2 video comes will be missing. Yes, Premiere is smart, but not smart enough to figure to recapture continues audio only clip.

No Preview in Timeline

VIDS.DRAW=DVIDEO.DLL in system.ini should be commented out.

Preview Files Code

Preview files have the time code of where they appear built into their filenames.example:VLif96HD523400120180012019.avi. V for video, Lif which is the truncated project name, 96HD5234 which means god know what, 00120180013019 which means 0:01:20;18 to 0:01:30;19.

Snap to Edges

It will be much easier to align clips if you make sure they will snap into place. In the top left corner of the time line there is the "close" button with an X in it. Immediately under it is a button with a black triangle. Click it. Look at the bottom line of the little window that opens. It says "Snap to edges." If there is not a check mark in front of these words click on the words. Click outside the little window and it will close. You will see the clip, or transition or title, you are sliding along a track snap into place as you come to each edge. To check this put the timeline cursor exactly on the end of the first clip. (It, too, will snap into place.) Then go to the bottom left area of the timeline where it is saying "1min" or "10 sec" or whatever. Click on it and go all the way to "1 frame" and click. You can see that the two clips are exactly aligned.

Working with audio

Better control over audio level nodes Setting Up Audio Audio Editing Sync audio to video Removing volume controls Red X on Audio Symbol Using VU meters Changing Default Audio Capture Utility Trimming Audio Normalize audio Telephone sound Resync Audio

Better control over audio level nodes

(They're too hard to adjust no matter how large you set your icons) Just hold down the shift key after you have grabbed the node. The little finger turns gray when you are over it and back to white after you've grabbed it. After it turns white hit and hold down the shift key. The movement scale expands and you get a pop up window that tells you the exact percentage you are at. If you hold down the shift key before you grab you get a different icon that allows you to change the level between the nodes uniformly with the same indications and expanded scale. Couldn't be easier or more accurate.

Setting Up Audio

Not sure about WIN 98 but in Win 95 you use control panel - multimedia - audio devices and select DC30 as preferred device enabled. You will probably get a choice of your old card and DC30 card for record and playback. You need to set preferred device for both options if you wish this.

BTW :I do not use the DC30 as my preferred audio device. I use the Awe32 card I have installed so that my other Audio software works also. No problems in Premiere by doing it this way.

If you want to capture just audio in Premiere, you need some suitable software.

The first time you try, Premiere asks what software you want to use. From then on it uses that program by default. To change it, choose audio capture with the SHIFT pressed and respond to the dialog box.

Another way - less convenient. If you check in your Premiere folder, you should find a file called PREM50.INI (or 51 I assume as the case may be). Go into it and you should see something like [audio capture] SoundRecUtil= then the file path to the program. If you delete the whole lot, then Premiere will prompt you for a new capture program next time you select it.

Audio Editing

Don't know what it is on a Mac, but on a PC hold the Alt key while double clicking the audio clip and the old familiar wave form window will come up. However, I have had trouble setting the in and out points in this window and have them transfer to the clip in the project line. The two ways I have found around this is to: 1. Set the "0" flag on the in point and the "9" flag on the out point and then exit the window and go to the time line to adjust the ends of the clip to these points. 2. Set the in and out flags as normal, then exit the clip window and double click on the audio clip (with out the Alt key). This brings the clip up in the monitor window where you can click the apply button to transfer the new in and out points to the clip in the timeline.

Also, if you want to set in and out points while the sound file is in a Clip window without losing 2 of your numbered markers; before you close the clip window, "drag" your wave to the Source window and you'll get a button called "Apply"-- just click it.

Either right clicking on title window... or left click on left corner icon... window options... enable safe title option.

For the 'calibrated eyeball' approach, the NTSC safe area is the center 80 percent of the screen which is roughly just under 30 pixels in from the edges assuming a 640x480 screen size.

Sync audio to video

I had a similar problem, and one strategy that has worked for me (none of the other suggestions has) is to export then import the newly created audio for the entire COMPLETED project as a single wav file. I then import the newly created wav file into Premiere, place it on the timeline in an empty audio track, mute the original audio (which consists of multiple files), and re-render the project. Using this strategy, the sync is accurate for me (at least up to 70 minutes--the longest project I have worked on to date) when previewing or exporting to video.

Removing volume controls

Simply pick the point you want to remove (sometimes harder than it should be) and drag it off the track. Pull it up to the top of the screen or way off the audio track until Premiere "figures out" that you want to delete it, then release the mouse button.

Red X on Audio Symbol

You will see a little speaker symbol on the MIV window. If that has a red X through it, don't even bother going to tape unless you are doing a silent movie. You will lose sync after a few minutes. Make sure you have pre-rendered the audio. It should do this when you hit Enter. Or pick project/render audio. If you STILL can't get rid of the red X, check to make sure you don't have any gaps in the audio tracks, move your marker to the start of the movie and try hitting Space. Space plays from the marker to the end (Enter plays the whole movie regardless of marker position). For some reason I've got rid of my red X some times by doing this.

Using VU meters

This is only tested on windows 98. It should work on 95, I don't know about NT. It involves a third party program called DDClip. You can download a freeware version of this from http://www.softseek.com/Utilities/Sound_and_Multimedia_Players_and_Utilities/Review_12752_index.html I have a Pinnacle Miro DC30+ in my machine. In addition I have a AWE-64 sound card. They are linked so that the internal audio out connector of the DC30+ is linked to the CD input of the AWE-64. This enables me to hear the sound from the DC30+ on my loudspeakers of my AWE-64. The dual sound cards is what enables me to have Premiere record audio at the same time as DDClip is showing me the audio levels. The config is as follows: 1. Let DC30+ be your default record/playback device in windows-control panel-multimedia-devices. 2. Start DDClip. Set it up to use your other sound card (ex: AWE-64) for record/playback. 3. Press the red record button of DDClip. The program will ask you to name a record file for it to use. Just make a new filename so you won't overwrite any files and press Enter. DDClip will not use this file for any recording unless you actually start recording in DDClip (which you don't). 4. You will now have three windows on the screen from DDClip: a. DDClip main window; b. Clip Collection; c. Audio Recorder. Minimize window a and b. In window c make sure "meter" and "always on top" is selected. Now you can start Premiere. The meters from the DDClip "Audio Recorder" window will analyze your recordings and playbacks in Premiere (and every other program utilizing the Miro DC30+).

IMPORTANT! There is no use of an audio meter if it is not properly adjusted. Here's what to do: You will need some steady input signal connected to the audio input of your DC30+. Use a 1Kz test tone if you have one. Check to see that your DC30+ loops input to output (is setup under the advanced button in the dc30+ mixer). Temporary setup DDClip to use the DC30+ for audio record/playback. Open the DDClip Audio Recorder and monitor your in-signal. The meters should read -18db. If they don't adjust your source until they do. Setup DDClip to use the other sound card (ex:AWE-64) for record/playback. Open the DDClip Audio Recorder again and monitor your in-signal. Now the meters should also read -18db. If they don't you have to open up the mixer for your other sound card and adjust the internal input fader (the one connected to the Miro DC30+ - in my case the CD fader) until the meters read -18db. If you are unable, as me, to adjust the fader high enough to get to -18db set the fader at max and note the reading of the meter. The difference between -18db and this reading was in my case 3db. Therefore I know that the upper 3db of the DDClip audio meter will never be used (as the top point is 3db below max). Setup DDClip (in DDClip main windows menu Options-Settings-Audio Meter) to use "0" position as -18dB. If you, as me, could not get to -18db in last paragraph you will have to adjust the "0" position accordingly. In my situation I used -21db as my "0" position (-18-3=-21).You now have 18db of headroom from your "0" position on the meters. This is according to the standard as used by SONY in their digital beta cam decks and in many others. You could of course decide to have a totally different head room. Well, this seems like a hell of a job, but it isn't. And once adjusted you will no longer wonder what your audio measures.

Changing Default Audio Capture Utility

Premiere 5.1 "remembers" the audio capture program the first time it is set up. To change audio capture program:

Open up "Prem50.ini" in your premiere folder and delete the 'SoundRecUtil=' entry.

e.g. (mine reads)

[AudioCapture] SoundRecUtil=C:\Program Files\Sound Forge\forge32.exe

ALTER TO READ.....

[AudioCapture] SoundRecUtil=

This will the force Premiere to prompt you for a utility when you go to audio capture.

Trimming Audio

How do you match frame in Premiere?

Also, how do you trim audio only in order to advance audio before the video starts or have audio trail the video portion of the clip?

Unlock your audio from the video clip and pull on it with he ripple tool.

Or hold the CTRL key while dragging the edge of the clip.

Normalize audio

Try right click on the audio line and then 'normalize' the audio level.

Telephone sound

Filter or roll off everything below 3-400 Hz. Roll of everything above 3 kHz. Compress like there's no tomorrow, maybe even getting a little distortion into proceedings on purpose.

Resync Audio

The standard recovery to get back into sync is to place the mouse cursor over the red triangle, hold down the left mouse button, observe the time error display which tells you how far out of sync you are, then move the cursor onto the time error display, watch it turn black, and release the left mouse button to automatically get the audio back into sync with the video. (Thanks to David J)

Working with clips

Film Style Cutting in Premiere with the TRIM window. Using sub-clips Virtual Clips Moving clips Batch Clip Processing Setting Multiple in/out Points on a Single clip

Film Style Cutting in Premiere with the TRIM window

I was interested in some of the responses after posting the "try this editing technique in Premiere". It appeared to me that many people overly complicated the whole edit process just because it's NLE. Some people seem to use all the video tracks just because they are there! Some of the old editing techniques forced on editors by flatbed editing machines are still valid in today's NLE world. Flatbeds usually had one picture head so all "video" ran from one reel and there was 2 or 3 audio heads to run the separate magnetic tracks. Editors learnt to edit by cuts on one "video stream". If it didn't work as a cut it probably wouldn't work as a dissolve. They got very good at visualizing the transition by the use of chinagraph lines marked on the film. On a flat bed the trimming was a physical and sometimes trial and error process -- imagine splicing in one frame with cello tape from the trim bin these days.

In Premiere try building your basic structure edit on Video 1B all as cuts. Save all the other tracks and tricks and transitions and titles etc. until you have your structure mostly done on 1B.The main advantage is that the Premiere TRIM Window (ctrl-t) works superbly from only one video stream (video track). The TRIM window and its replay (Play back edit) is a seriously helpful tool in Premiere but it cannot be used if you have scenes over lapping (multiple tracks). You can find them in the Trim Window -- previous or next edit -- but you can not trim them. Later, use the checkerboard technique by using Video 1A to trial scenes in and build your intercuts and cutaways. Remember that Video track 1A has playback/preview precedence over 1B and this acts as a vision switcher. Note that these editing techniques often require moving clips around the timeline tracks after all editing decisions are made. E.g. you may end up with a clip that requires transparency or transitions - these will need to be on tracks that can achieve this and the clips may need handles for overlaps. Another reason is that you may need to re organize the timeline to produce a rational EDL. Again , many of you will know these techniques - I do not claim to have invented them but I use them with success and they save heaps of time.

Using sub-clips

Do not split clips unless you want to apply different effects to different parts of the clip. Use Sub Clips. Mark in and out points in the master avi from the source window. Right click and create sub-clip and name it. This will appear in the project window. Re mark in and outs for next scene and so on etc. This sub clip function is designed for professional editing and works perfectly. Shift F6 will create a sub-clip as will an item in the command menu.

Virtual Clips

You can take two A/V clips and combine them so they will move as one unit anywhere in the Premiere project. Put them in a spot on your timeline which will not be used and make a virtual clip of them. Then you can move the virtual clip anywhere you want. Usually leave a few minutes in the beginning of the timeline for storing the source material for virtual clips. Doing it in the end of your project could cause problems down the road.

Moving clips

- Improved motion options i.e.: Copying and pasting settings 1. Select the clip with the settings you want to copy 2. EDIT | COPY 3. Select the other clip 4. EDIT | PASTE CUSTOM

- Sub clips 1. Read the Manual. 2. Select the Virtual Clip tool.

- Select, copy, and paste more than one clip at a time

1. Select the virtual clip tool

2. Make your selection

3. Hold the "Alt" button while you drag the block to an empty area in the Timeline.

Batch Clip Processing

Select the clips, then use the "clip" title at the top instead of right clicking on your selections.

Setting Multiple in/out Points on a Single clip

Put the clip in the source monitor. Set your first section in and out points. Apply the edit to the time line using the insert button. Move your in and out points to the second section you want. Apply the edit to the timeline immediately following the last edit. Rinse and repeat. Once they are all on the timeline you can arrange them however and in whatever order you want. No need to save sub-clips. You can do transitions between them, apply filters, whatever. If you have the video that came with 5.0, you may want to watch it. It has this exact application on it.

Once you've got the segments on the timeline, you can use the trimming window (look under the Monitor Window wing menu) to alter the in and out points interactively. But do it before you add transitions or anything on superimpose tracks or you run the risk of getting clips out of place when you trim.

Working with Premiere Titles

Scroll titles in Premiere 4.x/5.x Titles Cleaning up titles Title-into-Project-Window Shortcut Star Wars Titles Scrolling one-line title Video playing in/thru Titles Better Titles Editing Premiere titles Where do I find the Star Wars Logo font?

Scroll titles in Premiere 4.x/5.x

Scrolling credits: Duration of one page, using characters with 14 point: Approx. 15-20 seconds. Instead of the Premiere5.1 function -scroll title-, I'm using the movement-function from the clip menu, applied to titles on the S-tracks output option standard (lower field for DVREx) for soft, smoothed Scroll and Crawl. important: use flicker free option from the clip menu

Editing title pages: In the titler menu select options and set the background color to white, not opaque, Write first page with titler. If your text takes more than one page, write the text lines from quite above to quite below, this way, no gap arises when scrolling. Avoid shades under characters.

Duration: Adjust the duration of the first title to approx.15 seconds, and move it on track S1. Adjust transparency to alpha key or white alpha mask Dependent on video display size: adjust the movement start point: 0 and 64, endpoint to 0 and -64 (these values are for PAL with 720x576, try others for NTSC) activate smooth movement option fill color like background of